Our Lady of the Chilis Blog
Leisurely brunches are so great, aren’t they? I love them for special occasions like birthday’s, Father’s/Mother’s Day, Christmas Day, etc. One of our favorite things to do is fix a gorgeous brunch, then gather around the television and watch soccer! I serve everything buffet-style so people can help themselves; meaning I don’t have to play “waitress” and can actually enjoy everyone’s company! To be honest with you, I prefer my own homemade brunches to going...
Who doesn’t love fried chicken? This delicious, spicy version was taught to me by my father, Gabriel Tostado, who was a chef at the renowned Gordon’s Restaurant on Pine Street in Downtown Long Beach back in the 50’s. He’s been one of my cooking inspirations since I was a child, and this dish has always been a crowd pleaser. The most important item you will need to make this recipe is a cast iron skillet....
As a person who feeds a lot of people, it’s important to be able to stretch my ingredients – not only so I get the most bang for my buck, but also because I don’t have time to run to the grocery store all the time! So today I want to show you how to get two scrumptious recipes out of two pounds of ground beef: Empanadas (the savory, Argentine kind) and Tamale Pie. You read that correctly…TAMALE PIE! In Mexico, empanadas are usually sweet and considered a dessert....
Special occasions call for a festive breakfast where you don’t bother to count calories! I’ve made this gorgeous toast for Christmas brunch, New Year’s Day, my kid’s birthdays, etc. It’s the perfect dish to serve with quiche, a frittata, or an omelet; and it’s so easy, someone could actually make it for YOU this Mother’s Day! I recommend using “Texas Toast” for this recipe. If you’ve never heard this term before, it refers to bread...
These oven-baked flautas can be served as entrées, appetizers, or cut them up small and pass them on a tray at a party! This recipe uses shredded chicken, but you could use any shredded, ground, or cubed meat you like. (Like my carne que sobra tacos, this is another great way to use leftovers!) You could even make a vegetarian version using tofu…if you do happen to make a vegetarian version, drop me a line and tell me how it goes! Because these are baked...
With most every Mexican dish comes some kind of dressing or sauce. For my first post, I’m going to introduce you to three recipes that you’re most likely already familiar with: salsa fresca, salsa verde and, of course, good old guacamole. These are three things that every Mexican chef should master and be able to make quickly and with little effort. And you’ll use them with nearly every Mexican meal that you prepare. Salsa Fresca...
This soup is perfect for toddlers from 1 ½ – 4 years old. I’m dedicating this recipe to my little cousin Madeline, the most recent toddler to try this soup! In Mexico, babies are given little bits of tortilla dipped into a bland soup that they can then suck on or eat. This gives them protein from the meat juices and beans, but doesn’t introduce them to vegetables. With three kids of my own and 11 nieces...
As with most of the recipes I’ve shown you so far, chilaquiles are pretty simple. In Mexico, these are considered comfort food, and just happen to be the perfect hangover breakfast. You could even call them “breakfast nachos.” 10 to 15 corn tortillas Vegetable oil Salsa verde 1 or 2 tbsp Chicken broth 1/4 cup chopped onion (white or red) chopped cilantro to taste Cacique cotija cheese Cut up tortillas into chip sized pieces. Warm vegetable oil over...
This is a quick and easy dish to make, especially if you have leftover meat from last night’s dinner, or even doggie bag leftovers from a restaurant! This is a great recipe to teach your teenagers to get them used to cooking, because it’s delicious and uncomplicated. Cubed, pre-cooked meat (beef, pork or chicken) Corn or flour tortillas Pre-shredded Mexican three-cheese blend Shredded red cabbage (or green if preferred) Sliced radishes Salsa fresca Fresh lime juice...
